Engineered Living Materials-Based Sensing and Actuation

Abstract

The integration of functional synthetic materials and living biological entities has emerged as a new and powerful approach to create adaptive and functional structures with unprecedented performance and functionalities. Such hybrid structures are also called engineered living materials (ELMs). ELMs have the potential to realize many highly-desired properties, which are usually only found in biological systems, such as the abilities to self-power, self-heal, response to biosignals, and self-sustainable. Motivated by that, in recent years, researchers have started to explore the use of ELMs in many areas, among them, sensing and actuation is the area that has seen the most progress. In this short review, we briefly reviewed the important recent development in ELMs-based sensors and actuators, with a focus on their materials and structural design, new fabrication technologies, and bio-related applications. Current challenges and future directions in this field are also identified to help with future development in this emerging interdisciplinary field.

Stimuli-responsive engineered living materials

“…They can harness the biological potential of cells to enable dynamic, self-assembling, and functional materials. [24][25][26][27] Previous reviews that describe ELMs focus on engineering biological cells that act as living factories or modulate the performance of novel materials, 25 programming cells to produce materials with functional properties, 26 and integrating cells with synthetic materials to develop sensors and actuators. 27 For example, ELMs have been developed to utilize engineered cells for the synthesis of materials, such as amyloid proteins that form biofilms, [28][29][30] cellulose, 31 and other polysaccharides.…”

“…[24][25][26][27] Previous reviews that describe ELMs focus on engineering biological cells that act as living factories or modulate the performance of novel materials, 25 programming cells to produce materials with functional properties, 26 and integrating cells with synthetic materials to develop sensors and actuators. 27 For example, ELMs have been developed to utilize engineered cells for the synthesis of materials, such as amyloid proteins that form biofilms, [28][29][30] cellulose, 31 and other polysaccharides. 32 These extracellular materials have been investigated to perform different functionalities, such as selfregeneration and adhesion to surfaces.…”

Systematic Understanding of Recent Developments in Bacterial Cellulose Biosynthesis at Genetic, Bioprocess and Product Levels

“…ELMs are engineered materials composed of living biological entities that can form and modulate the material itself [62]. The incorporation of living cells provides many advantages to the materials such as biosensing, self-regenerative, and modulating capabilities [63]. The efforts are also focusing on BC-based ELMs due to their unique properties.…”

4D Printing of Engineered Living Materials

“…Engineered living materials (ELMs) integrate living cells and synthetic components and have been used to create stimuli-responsive devices. [25][26][27][28] ELMs can be designed to harness the biological functions of living cells to detect small changes in the environment and respond in a programmed manner. Importantly, genetic manipulation of living cells enables the design of ELMs with engineered responses to a wide range of stimuli.…”